Starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI) batteries such are typically used in automotive, recreational, and other applications, are heavy, cumbersome, and usually require two hands for carrying. The desirability of providing such batteries with attachable/detachable handles for facilitating carrying, placement, and retrieval of such batteries has long been known. Such handles are a particular convenience in batteries designed for use in boats or in uninterrupted power supply (UPS) applications which must be frequently moved for storage, service, or recharging.
Bail-type handles, which are known in the art, typically comprise a U- or C-shaped member attached to opposing sides of a battery casing, either on its container or cover. With such handles, the battery may be carried in much the same fashion as a picnic basket or bail.
Rope-type handles typically have three injection molded plastic parts coupled by flexible rope sections and, accordingly, are physically highly flexible. The injection molded ends of the handle fit into slots on the battery. Installation of this type of handle may be difficult, however, inasmuch as the rope provides no support, the ends of the handle must be guided in by hand. Although this requirement may sound trivial, the process is so time consuming and labor intensive that most installers choose not to use the handle. Further, in some cabinet designs, the handle cannot be removed once the battery is in place without a separate tool because there is no room for the installers hand between the batteries.
Substantially rigid bail-type handles are likewise known in the art. A variety of handle designs have been proposed for carrying batteries. Detachable, substantially rigid bail handles are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,515 to Rector, U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,022 to Fox, U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,248 to Lee, U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,625 to McCartney et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,769 to Cole et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,502 to Kump.
Frequently, the means for detachably connecting the ends of the bail handle to the battery casing comprise members which project from the overall geometry of the casing, even when the handle is detached. The McCartney et al. '625 patent, the Baumgartner '796 patent, and the Cole '769 patent, for example, disclose battery casings including such projections. These attachment points can interfere with one or more of the many types of devices by which batteries are mounted. As a result, bail handles can make it more difficult to design a battery which is suitable for use with all types of mounting devices.
Further, when the handles of many prior art designs are removed, the absence of the handle is conspicuous and the overall aesthetic appeal of the battery may be diminished. For example, when the handle of the McCartney et al. '625 patent is removed, the knob 14 continues to protrude from the side wall of the container. Not only does this present an odd appearance, the knob may catch on outside surfaces. A neat and clean design, however, may convey to the consumer a sense of quality which may be transferred to the functional performance of the battery as well. This sense may be difficult to create if many conventional designs were to be sold without a handle.
Moreover, despite the general advantages of having battery carrying handles, battery handles necessarily add cost to the battery. Institutional customers, such as those who use batteries in UPS applications, may not need a handle for each battery and, because they tend to have established maintenance procedures, may be satisfied with a single handle for use in handling many batteries.
Prior art handles, however, are often not susceptible to easy attachment and detachment. Detachment and attachment may require relatively precise alignment of cooperating parts and/or multiple motions. This may make them less than ideally suited for using a single handle. Further, in some cabinet or display designs, there is no room between the batteries for the installer's hand. As a result, some handles may not be removed once the battery is in place without a separate tool. This is particularly a problem in the case of rope-type handles because they offer no rigidity.